Difference between Smother and Repress

What is the difference between Smother and Repress?

Smother as a noun is that which smothers or appears to smother, in any sense. while Repress as a noun is the act of repressing.

Smother

Part of speech: noun

Definition: That which smothers or appears to smother, in any sense. The state of being stifled; suppression. The act of smothering a kick (see above).

Part of speech: verb

Definition: To suffocate; stifle; obstruct, more or less completely, the respiration of. To extinguish or deaden, as fire, by covering, overlaying, or otherwise excluding the air: as, to smother a fire with ashes. To reduce to a low degree of vigor or activity; suppress or do away with; extinguish; stifle; cover up; conceal; hide: as, the committee's report was smothered. In cookery: to cook in a close dish: as, beefsteak smothered with onions. To daub or smear. To be suffocated. To breathe with great difficulty by reason of smoke, dust, close covering or wrapping, or the like. Of a fire: to burn very slowly for want of air; smolder. Figuratively: to perish, grow feeble, or decline, by suppression or concealment; be stifled; be suppressed or concealed. To get in the way of a kick of the ball, preventing it going very far. When a player is kicking the ball, an opponent who is close enough will reach out with his hands and arms to get over the top of it, so the ball hits his hands after leaving the kicker's boot, dribbling away.

Example sentence: Food technology classes at school were so dull. Even as a 14-year-old going through the ignorance of my black-nailed 'goth' phase, my interest in food was much deeper than those shop-bought pizza bases we were instructed to haul in and smother with tomato puree and ready-grated mozzarella.

Repress

Part of speech: noun

Definition: The act of repressing.

Part of speech: verb

Definition: To press again.To press back or down effectually; to crush down or out; to quell; to subdue; to suppress; as, to repress sedition or rebellion; to repress the first risings of discontent.Hence, to check; to restrain; to keep back.

We hope you now know whether to use Smother or Repress in your sentence.

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